Chapter 1: Country and people

The United Kingdom of Great Britain

and Northern Ireland
Looking for a name
• The British Isles
• The north-east
Atlantic archipelago
• The north-west
European
archipelago
• IONA (Islands of the
North Atlantic)
• The Isles
National teams in selected sports
 Other signs of national identity
• Albion (Celtic origin): literary name
for GB, Latin “albus” (white).
• Britannia: female embodiment of
GB wearing helmet & holding
trident.
• John Bull: fictional character
personifying Englishness and
English virtues.
• Briton: official name for UK citizen
• Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia:
Roman name for Scotland, Wales &
Ireland.
• Erin / Eire / The Emerald Isle:
poetic name for Ireland
 Should “Britain” be called as
“England”?
• Absolutely not! England is only one of ‘the
four nations’.
• This can be insulting for people from Scotland,
Ireland or Wales.
 In the past …
• Culture and lifestyle varied enormously:
– Ireland, Wales, Highland Scotland: Celtic culture &
languages
– Lowland Scotland and England: Germanic culture
& dialects
• They tended to have different economic,
social and legal system, and they were
independent of each other.
 Nowadays …
• British people have only one government and
one passport.
• The differences haven’t disappeared
completely.
• Aspects of government are organized
separately or differently in the 4 parts of the
UK.
• Welsh, Scottish, and Irish people feel their
identity very strongly.
What is the name of the national flag of the UK?
Union Jack
 Surnames
• ‘Mac’ or ‘Mc’ (McCain, McCall, MacCarthy,
MacDonald) => Scottish or Irish.
• ‘O’ (O’Brien, O’Connor) => Irish.
• Evans, Jones, Morgan, Price, Williams =>
Welsh.
• Smith => English or Scottish.
 First name for men
• English => John; Scottish => Ian; Irish => Sean
• Scottish men: Jock
• Irishmen: Paddy or Mick
• Welshmen: Dai or Taffy
=> Be careful: Only use for friends! Never use
plural!
Scottish ‘kilt’ and ‘bagpipe’; Irish cap
Welsh hat & English bowler hat
 The dominance of England
• Dominant culture of Britain today is English.
• The system of politics has English origin.
• The main language of all 4 parts is English.
• Many aspects of everyday life are organized
according to English customs and practice.
• The political unification of Britain was
achieved by force, not mutual agreement.
 National loyalties
• Many English people don’t bother to
distinguish ‘Britain’ and ‘England’.
• People in other parts DO.
• What is the safest way to deal with this
situation?
• Use ‘Britain/British’ instead of
‘England/English’
• Remember: England does not make up the
whole of the UK.
 Migration & identity
• Which part do most people migrate to?
=> People from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
have migrated to England for a long time.
• But they would never describe themselves as
English.
• Which nation are these people likely to
support in sporting contests?
 Migration & identity
• What do most British citizens who family
origin lie outside Britain or Ireland like being
described? British or English?
=> British
• Which nation are these people likely to
support in sporting contests?